WOW. This course never fails to leave me feeling completely uncertain about my career path! First, I must say that the metaphor used by the author was absolutely remarkable. It was so concise and so accurate and completely summed up the mentality of the education system in far too many cases. Fried was spot on in equating todays education to a game in which many students and teachers play to simply scrape by. It is evident that many people are calling for a change in the way that students go about learning and teachers go about teaching but early on Fried mentions a number of reasons why change is not as simple as we would all hope.
There are a number of elements that indicate that the game of school is being played. From large class sizes to uninterested students to tests that determine who has succeeded as a student or teacher and who has failed, the odds are seemingly stacked against those working to better education. While these are issues that a wide eyed college student may believe can be remedied, especially those of us looking to become teachers, I am personally afraid. It is one thing to potentially have students that need motivation, but what happens when you have parents who are not motivated to help their students, or a school that simply cannot financially support learning? It worries me that education is seemingly becoming less and less of a priority, not just with students but on a national scale. Teachers do not want to simply go through the motions, but often it is the only choice they have and it is so unfortunate. While the majority of them would love to take the time to explain to their students the importance of what they are doing and the meaning why they are doing it, it is time they do not have.
It is so baffling that education is always under such scrutiny when we are a world so driven and consumed by money. If the belief that knowledge is power no longer holds true then what is it that we should be instilling in students? If innovating, and creating and learning and imagining is no longer necessary in being successful and competitive in this capitalist society what is? What needs to be in the curriculum to get people to realize that education is important and that education is not just a game?
There are a number of elements that indicate that the game of school is being played. From large class sizes to uninterested students to tests that determine who has succeeded as a student or teacher and who has failed, the odds are seemingly stacked against those working to better education. While these are issues that a wide eyed college student may believe can be remedied, especially those of us looking to become teachers, I am personally afraid. It is one thing to potentially have students that need motivation, but what happens when you have parents who are not motivated to help their students, or a school that simply cannot financially support learning? It worries me that education is seemingly becoming less and less of a priority, not just with students but on a national scale. Teachers do not want to simply go through the motions, but often it is the only choice they have and it is so unfortunate. While the majority of them would love to take the time to explain to their students the importance of what they are doing and the meaning why they are doing it, it is time they do not have.
It is so baffling that education is always under such scrutiny when we are a world so driven and consumed by money. If the belief that knowledge is power no longer holds true then what is it that we should be instilling in students? If innovating, and creating and learning and imagining is no longer necessary in being successful and competitive in this capitalist society what is? What needs to be in the curriculum to get people to realize that education is important and that education is not just a game?